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RECAP NEWSLETTER - 3/7/5 Issue 34
DEVOTIONS
Hezekiah did many great things for God. However, of all the works
and efforts that he did, the greatest commendation was not necessary a
work that he accomplished, but how he served. Hezekiah made an
effort to do what was good, right, and truth before God. As he
followed the law and commandments, he had a strong desire to serve and
seek God. Nothing else mattered. He was a king, but he a
follower of God. Most people do good. How many people strive
to do right according to what God says is right? What about striving
for the truth? Taking a stand for doctrinal truth sometimes get
heavy flak from the world. Who cares. All out for God.
Hezekiah reminds me of the Apostle Paul who had run his course, and of
Archippus who was encouraged to fulfill his ministry for God. What
about me? Do I exercise diligence in following that which is good,
right, and truth? Do I strive in full pursuit to follow God's
commands and to seek Him above this crummy world? In the end, it is
not the accomplishments that will be listed off as we enter Heaven, it is
"Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a
few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the
joy of thy lord." Matthew 25:21. Be found faithful. Seek
Christ first and highest of all!
These past two weeks I've been recovering from a nasty head cold that has been circulating through our area. Praise the Lord, using herbal medicines and other venues, I was only out of work one day resting. Many others I know have been down most of a week. However, continue to pray for me as I am still somewhat tired from the ordeal, and from a sudden uptake in work. Pray that I will get the rest that I need, and that the physical work will not interfere with mental tasks to complete. During my 'rest' day, I started reading "Who's Driving the Purpose Driven Church" by James Sundquist. I must say that this is an excellent documentary on the PD teachings and how corrupt they are. I would definitely recommend this book for pastors or anyone interested in the truth about Rick Warren's teachings. As you are reading the book, I strongly suggest you get a notepad and write down notes of interest that you can share with others. Here are some of the notes that I have taken so far... "...the forty day periods are descriptive, not necessarily prescriptive..." pg. 20 "...to suggest that this is God's blueprint with these numbers would constitute numerology..." pg. 21 "[transform your life?] what if we are already a new person with a purpose and we just need our minds renewed [Romans 12:2]" pg. 22 "All of his examples (except Ninevah) already knew what God wanted them to do before forty days." pg. 22 "...a man that has already documented that he does not tell the truth in those forty-day examples contained in the pages prior to Mr. Warren's covenant. I challenge you to find agreement with his statements in any translation of the Bible (and you can even pick the translation)." pg. 26 "For pastors to offer your congregation the option to sign this document, knowing full well Warren has not told the truth, makes you his accomplice in falsehood." pg. 26 "To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them." Isaiah 8:20 "In the spirit of staying positive, Warren repeatedly selects paraphrases that omit critical qualifiers." pg. 35 "...nothing remotely reflective of the contents of the correct rendering of this passage..." pg. 36 "no scripture is open to private interpretation" II Pet. 1:20 "The apostle Paul delineates teachings in which we have liberty, such as days and diets. But he never suggests there is liberty regarding doctrine." pg. 50 "There are no nonessential doctrines." pg. 50 "If Scripture were that flexible, there would be no such thing as a false teacher, because there would be no absolute truth." pg. 50
Here is the book information if you desire to read it:
CURRENT EVENT RECAP It is ironic that standards constantly change. Standards for computers and technology are always changing. Unfortunately, moral standards also follow winds of change. Most moral 'standards' that a nation or culture prizes are most often judged or set by the current generation. The lack of a permanent, fixed moral compass, such as God's Word, allows for aberrant behavior and everyone doing what is right in their own eyes. It is interesting that the Bible states that man will repeatedly fall back to the place where in their minds, the evil sin that they are doing is somehow 'right'. Outside of God's Word there is no concept of sin. People do what they judge is fit and proper for them. If their conscience lets them do it, it must be right. Our nation is adrift morally and spiritually because we cut loose the anchor. We were sailing along so well that we thought we did not need an old anchor to slow us down anymore. However, as the tempestuous storm clouds gather on the horizon, we realize that without an anchor we will most likely go down. Where is it? Where are we heading? How far off course are we? What about this world? It is in the same strait that we as a nation are in. The world has rejected God. We can see the spirit of antichrist in the world. Just this week, America ends the death penalty for juvenile killers. Yet in the same week we have a case of Terri Schiavo, who is being brought closer and closer to death because she is disabled. Is life so cheap? It amazes me that international pressure was cited as a main reason why the Supreme Court decided to abolish executing juvenile killers. I was reminded of David's view of capital punishment in II Samuel 4:9-11 "And David answered Rechab and Baanah his brother, the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, and said unto them, As the LORD liveth, who hath redeemed my soul out of all adversity, When one told me, saying, Behold, Saul is dead, thinking to have brought good tidings, I took hold of him, and slew him in Ziklag, who thought that I would have given him a reward for his tidings: How much more, when wicked men have slain a righteous person in his own house upon his bed? shall I not therefore now require his blood of your hand, and take you away from the earth?" It is interesting how David put it. Capital punishment was expected if someone slew an innocent man, especially slaying him in his own bed. David stated that the punishment for their actions was that they were going to be taken "away from the earth." They forfeited their life. They made the choice, they killed a man, they even hoped for reward in doing it. Yet David clearly laid before them that he had an obligation and duty to punish them for their actions. Yet, today, we do not punish the crime, we keep the killers on the earth and thus keep the problems. Crime is skyrocketing, prisons are overflowing... David did not lock these two men up for several years - no, he ordered that their meet punishment be given immediately in the next verse. Can you imagine God saying that verse about our country? 'How much more, when a wicked nation have slain the innocent in the womb? shall I not therefore now require their blood of you hand, and take your nation away from the earth?' Why should we be surprised when our nation is running from God, when it seems that most Christian parents have the wrong priorities? Just this week there was a study that more "born-again Christian parents are more likely to put an emphasis on seeing that their children get a good education than seeing them enter adulthood as followers of Christ." What are the priorities with your children and grandchildren? It is better that they fail in education than to fail for Christ. Proverbs 23:15-17 says, "My son, if thine heart be wise, my heart shall rejoice, even mine. Yea, my reins shall rejoice, when thy lips speak right things. Let not thine heart envy sinners: but be thou in the fear of the LORD all the day long." vs. 22-25 "Hearken unto thy father that begat thee, and despise not thy mother when she is old. Buy the truth, and sell it not; also wisdom, and instruction, and understanding. The father of the righteous shall greatly rejoice: and he that begetteth a wise child shall have joy of him. Thy father and thy mother shall be glad, and she that bare thee shall rejoice." Parents, it takes work to get a godly child! Deuteronomy 6:7-9,20-21 "And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes. And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates." "And when thy son asketh thee in time to come, saying, What mean the testimonies, and the statutes, and the judgments, which the LORD our God hath commanded you? Then thou shalt say unto thy son..." Have you taught your children to fear God? Do they know the Scriptures? Do they memorize? Do they pray? Does your family have regular devotions *together*? Does your family worship *together* at church? The world is frantically trying to grab the moral standards, moral compasses, and the Word of God out of young people's lives.
Do good and right and truth before the LORD your God. In every work
that you do for Him, and in the law, and in the commandments, to seek your
God - do it with all your heart. Proverbs 3:7 "Be not wise in
thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil."
REMINDERS & PRAYER REQUESTS
Pray for our President that if he is not saved, he will come to the true
knowledge of Jesus Christ. Pray that he will work to the protection
of the American people, and the punishment of the wicked.
Pray for the requests in PrayerList, and also in iChurches.
May God richly bless, |